Hayden Panettiere backs out of horror convention appearance last-minute due to ‘emergency’
Entertainment
Averee Nelson Lifestyle Reporter
17:35 ET, 11 Jul 2026Updated 17:36 ET, 11 Jul 2026
Hayden Panettiere pulled out of a public appearance scheduled for this weekend at the last minute due to an unknown “emergency.”
The 36-year-old actress was expected to make an appearance at the horror convention Creep I.E. Aftermath in Ontario, California, on Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12. However, on Friday, the event organizers announced on Instagram that Panettiere was no longer able to appear due to what they described as an “emergency,” without providing any additional details
She was originally intended to be a part of what the organizers described as a “very rare” reunion of Scream 4 stars, including Panettiere and Nico Tortorella. This comes as theactress recently came out as bisexual in her ‘brutally honest’ memoir
Article continues below
READ MORE: Looksmaxxer Connor Murphy ‘injected himself with gold’ to connect to higher powers before death
READ MORE: Influencer Kauana Bilhar, 27, dies after falling from Dubai skyscraper sparking police investigation
Creep I.E. organizers announced her canceled appearance on the convention’s official Instagram, writing the following text on the post, “Hayden Panettiere has an emergency and will not be able to attend this weekend, we are looking forward to her appearing at an upcoming show.”
The convention’s post also announced that a new guest would be revealed, later revealed as actress Dominique Swain, known for her performances in Lolita, Face/Off, and Girl, among other films
If you can’t view the post above, click here
Panettiere hasn’t personally addressed the reason for her canceled appearance at the horror convention, an event that includes horror exhibits, meet-and-greets with “horror icons,” Q&A panels, food trucks, and other themed experiences
A representative for the Scream 4 star shared a statement with People on Saturday, offering more details about her absence from the convention. “Hayden cancelled her appearance due to a private family matter concerning the health of an elderly relative,” the representative for Panettiere told People
Panettiere has been an actress since she was a child. Beyond her horror performances in the Scream franchise and the 2015 horror video game Until Dawn, Panettiere is best known for her roles in Heroes, Nashville, Bring It On: All or Nothing, Ice Princess, and The Amanda Knox Story, among others
She recently released her memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, in May 2026. Panettiere shared an intimate look into how stepping into the spotlight at such a young age shaped her life, delving into struggles such as alcoholism, depression, and other pressures in the entertainment industry
In her memoir, Panettiere opened up about her sexuality and shared that a doctor once warned her that if she kept drinking, her alcoholism could kill her within five years
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about the release of her memoir, she touched on a detail from the book about her no-kill clause in the Scream franchise
She said, “You can ask. It doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. And there are loopholes. It took a couple films for them to bring me back into the Scream franchise. And obviously, I wasn’t in the last one, but I’m still alive and kicking in that universe so I would be thrilled to come back whenever.”
Article continues below
There has been some chatter online about a potential Scream 8, so fans will have to wait to see whether Panettiere can return to her role in the franchise
